Table 2.

Representative quotes for key interpersonal processes during the consultation

Theme	Example quotes (de‐identified participant number, data time point)
1. Engendering compassion and ‘real’ listening
Compassion	You, you know I would say the, that what had the most impact on me was, was the session itself and the approach she took because I'm now taking that approach in my, with myself so she showed me an approach that was about compassion, about being gentle with myself, about understanding that there's lots of different variables that are affecting things and about giving, not being afraid to and actually trying to ensure that on a daily basis I'm congratulating myself for you know seeing my strengths, looking at the positive things that I'm contributing to what I'm doing right now so it feels, I'd have to say overall that it just feels like a much gentler process. (240, follow‐up 1)
Real listening	Cause she was also as I mentioned doing a good job of not putting words in my mouth but just really trying to make sure that she was paraphrasing and she was always putting it back on me to make sure that I was okay with how she described it and then from there it's like well here's some resources and that kind of custom, that's real listening right. That's real, real listening and you don't get that in many places so that's a positive experience and with that came kind of not just a package but a custom, customized package so that's just a very positive experience ‘cause we just, there's such a shortage of that in the health care system so. (5 follow‐up 1)
2. Making sense of the story
Root cause assessment	I think what made the difference for me was when I met with the doctor like going back in time and talking about how things were then present and not just physical health but other things going on so kind of looking back and being like oh yea I used to do these things and this kind of happen, this and this and this and then just being reminded and working through that like that was a really big help because a lot of the times people don't like health practitioners don't go back that far, they're just kind of like in the present you know so you know actually sitting down and taking to do back from my past and now was a big help because it was like I used to do all that, I used to do this you know. (128 follow‐up 2)
Fostering insight	My overall impression was it was, it was very insightful especially the part about doing the history like the timeline was super helpful for me. It was (upset)…it's very, it was very emotional to do that part obviously. But very insightful at the same time because, because I have a clear pattern of doing okay with my weight and then having problems with my weight so…but it makes me, it just, I didn't, revisited all those things that were happening at that time so no I also found it really helpful. (255 post‐consultation)
3. Recognizing strengths
	But when someone turnaround and tells you that that's a strength and that this is you know that you're getting through life no matter what's being throw at you and it's actually looking pretty good at this point and you know it's feeling good but to have someone say that back to you is, is huge. It, you know it's because it's one thing for us to see who we are and to know who we are. It's something completely different for another person to acknowledge that to us. That's huge. Huge. (240 post‐consultation)
4. Shifting beliefs about obesity: managing expectations and focusing on whole‐person health
Managing expectations	Oh. You know what I think it was the part that we talked about this best weight…and because I don't feel as much pressure to lose the hun, like a hundred pounds ‘cause it's huge so it brings my goal more into a reasonable range so I, I feel like I'm more likely to, to be able to have some weight loss and, and have a lower best weight than I'm currently at and it's, so it's, it seems like it's more in, attainable. (108 follow‐up 1)
Focusing on whole‐person health	It felt like from like her perspective it was such a focus on being healthy and thinking healthy and like making healthy choices and really like drawing the distinction between like being so focused on weight loss versus being focused on your health. It was, it was like such a good shift. It was so good. (130 post‐consultation)
5. Co‐constructing a new story: context integration and prioritizing
Context integration	When she, when she did her kind of integrated summary, that was really emotional again because she, she kind of got it and I think it was at that point…I'm not sure was as emotional reliving the stuff as it was kind of having someone look at my life that way and kind of go like she got it. (@) Because I've looked at my life that way but to have someone else kind of affirm that…is sort of no wonder you have problems and you were dealing with all of this and you're really resilient and, and so that was, I mean that was nice to hear the strengths too. (255 post‐consultation)
Prioritizing	And coming to terms with the fact that how you feel, your moods and, and the way you deal with your emotional situations and the stress in your life and how these things impact everything else that, that you do and how they impact your health and your habits and, and your choices, I realize that I had a tendency to kind of push that aside and it doesn't work because it has, it has to be resolved or nothing fixes itself and it just doesn't work so that's the main thing and that I'm going to have start doing some things in order to try and address that. (6 post‐consultation)
6. Orienting on value goals and planning actions
Direction	[…] the eating healthy here, those choices, that was probably motivated mostly by this project so being part of a plan and a program that had a very clear sort of direction and goals and steps to do what whatever was probably was the most influencing factor on that. (208, follow‐up 2)
Orientation on functional and value goals	Yeah, yeah there is and it's these, it's these two goals here that she talked to me about. When she wrote this down at the end, she said to improve your balance, your strength, your flexibility, to maintain your function so I can play with my grandkids and to improve my girth to so I could get on an airplane and just go click on my seatbelt, to go to a store to buy a bathing suit and actually try on okay this is this size, I think I can fit that one. Let me try it on, oh my gosh it actually fits. Yes that's, that, these, this is what stuck in my mind the most is right at the end of our conversation and that's what I keep going back to. (198 follow‐up 2)
7. Fostering reflection
Insight	I: Yeah. How did you generally find that experience of journaling? 255:Oh I love it. I, I got so many ah‐has out of journaling. I'm just, I, I write down what I did and then I go why do I do this? I need to think more about why I do this, you know what was happening here? Why do I still need a cup of Smarties at night? You know why when I know that I shouldn't do it or then why do I have should and shouldn't about eating like every, everything. I also kind of summarized reviewed kind of stuff that I've done that were sort of beyond the appointment but what, the appointments spurred me on to kind of do. (255 follow‐up 2)
Motivation	Actually with that awareness too it also kinda helped me to kinda be more physical, more active with that as well yea, I started Wednesday I think last week, I started walking every night, I walk 30 min a day so I've been sticking to it, it doesn't matter what time you know and it's something that, it's not like ugh I have to go walk now you know, it's like something I just automatically do like it's something I look forward to now because it's to me when I write about it afterwards it kinda reinforces like how good I feel like how positive I feel about it because yea so it kinda helps to oh this is why I wanna walk right so but yea it was, I would say awareness, mostly awareness and just focusing more on what I was going like the negative versus the positive and kind of acting on it so. (128 follow‐up 1)
Accountability	Goals wise, I did not eat out lunch and I had a delicious healthy salad as an afternoon snack! Which is not my usual snack fare…not one of my goals, but I felt good making a healthier choice. BUT I wonder if I would have made the same choice if I didn't have to come and write in this journal. The journal is a layer of accountability that is affecting my choices. I hope I'll be able to keep writing in it…and I'd like to be able to think of a way to carry on this accountability after the study is over. (130 journal)
Internalizing core messages	Maybe that's it ‘cause I, I've noticed that reading my notes that I'm not working on myself as much as I should be. I'm more concentrating on other people's, other people. That's what I've been doing so it's kind of a good wakeup call actually to write a journal like this because then you say okay, I'm writing about this person or that person, I'm feeling this or this but I'm not talking about myself sometimes right so that was a good, a good thing to learn. (198 follow‐up 2)
Coping	Especially on the days where I have a bad day, it feels good to write it out if I can't run it out right so that'll be my motto, write it or run it. (235 follow‐up 1)
8. Experimenting and re‐evaluating
Experimenting	That's huge and, and look at all the levels we've come through just in a couple weeks right. I mean now you know mind me, mind you I was already charting before so that was a huge plus to go, to come into this with, you know so I definitely add that to your stuff really because this (tapping table) has been huge. For someone like, this has been so telling. Anyway it's told me a lot, given me a lot of information and when we add this to it was just like you know it's just, it's kind of blown apart like all of a sudden there's multi levels and I'm seeing all sorts of stuff I wasn't seeing before so it's good, it's good. I think, I, I also still though think that it's really important…like I don't necessarily believe this session but you know after doing this for a month, I would be feeling like I want to meet with that doctor again and, and tell her how I'm doing and what I've been doing and for us to kind of redo this whole thing right and, and to do that for about a year right ‘cause then I'd be, then I'd have, have this, I'd be on top of this stuff. I'd really know what I was doing right and that would be (whisper) so helpful, so helpful. That could possibly, I believe that that in truth could lead me back to work and could have led me back to work if it had been happening from the beginning right. (240 follow‐up 1)
Long‐term relationship	It made sense at the time talking to her because I felt very confident that I could do this on my own but now, no … I went into it feeling really good and then I was disappointed because I, you know that I didn't take with me (chuckle) the knowledge I know. It seemed as though this night issue became really magnified … There were a few good days in there…But now it's like, I don't feel as confident right now.(159 follow‐up 1)
Accountability	I:Okay how is that helpful? 4:It was just really nice to be able to plan something that I can actually do as opposed to just do this and knowing that but being accountable kind of helps too, I know it's helped in the past saying okay I'll do this and then I'll do it, I'm more likely to do it as opposed to okay I'm gonna do something and I think about it in my head and then I just completely forget about it. (4 post‐consultation)

… Pause; @ laughter; ( ) transcriptionist comment; […] ellipsis – quotes are slightly edited for readability; I interviewer.